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(No Model.)

J. G. KERST. GUTLERY SCOURER. No. 598,789. Patented Feb. 8, 1898.

manna NlTE STATES I ATNT FFlCE.

JOHN G. KERST, OF SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF TWO-FIFTHS TO IIENRY C. BELL AND IRA J. BELL, OF SAME PLACE.

CUTLERY-SCOURER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 598,789,dateol February 8,1898.

Application filed August 9, 1897. Serial No. 647,543. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN G. KERST, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Sangamon and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Outlery-Scourers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in cutlery-scourers of that class in which is provided a receptacle forthe scouring or cleaning material and rubbers or plates between which the knives are to be placed and moved in contact with the cleaning substance.

The present invention has for its objects, among others, to provide a simple, cheap, and practicable device for this purpose by which better results may be attained and the cutlery easily and perfectly cleaned. I provide a receptacle having at one end an opening through which the scouring compound may flow to the rubbers which are arranged at said end of the receptacle. One of these rubbers is pivotally mounted, so as to adjust itself to the bevel or inclination of the knife, and the up-' per rubber is mounted for vertical movement and held to its downward or working position by a spring. The rubbers serve to normally prevent escape of the cleaning compound from the receptacle. I provide a removablecatchbasin or receptacle at the end of the receptacle proper beneath the rubbers, into which the surplus compound may fall and be caught. The lower rubber has its ends beveled to facilitate the introduction of the knife and also its removal and aiding in the operation of scouring the same.

Other objects and advantages of the in vention will hereinafter appear, and the novel features thereof will be specifically defined by the appended claims.

a The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which, with the letters of reference marked thereon, form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view' of my improved device. Fig. 2 is an end elevation with the catch-basin removed and showing a knife in position. Fig. 3 is a substantially central vertical longitudinal section through the device with a portionbroken away and a part of the stem of the upper rubber shown in elevation.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring now to the details of the drawings by letter, A designates the box or receptacle, which may be of any desired capacity and shape, mounted upon suitable legs Ct and provided with an opening B in its top for the introduction of the cleaning compound,which may be closed by suitable means, as a cover 0, hinged'to the top, as seen best in Fig. 1. I in some instances provide a handle, as seen in Fig. 3, by which the device may be carried about from place to place. D is a catch-basin or receptacle located at one endof the box A anddetachably held in position in any suit-,

able manner, in this instance being shown as supported in the guides or supports E (seen best in Fig. 2) and which are inclined toward each other to form a dovetail socket into which the end of the basin is adapted to slide and be held. This basin extends outward beyond the end of the box a sufficient distance to catch all surplus cleaning compound that may drop during the process of scouring the knives.

F is an opening in the end of the box A, be-

neath which the catch-basin is arranged, as seen best in Fig. 3. The walls of this opening are inclined inward toward the interior of the box, as seen in Fig. 3, so as to facilitate the egress of the powder or substance used for cleaning the knives and also to cause the said powder to fall back into the receptacle when the rubbers are in position as seen in Fig. 3, and thus prevent waste of the material as well as guard against its getting into such position as to tend to clog and prevent proper manipulation of the said rubbers.

G is the lower rubber. It comprises a plate g, having a vertical flange g, through which passes a pivot H, supported in the end of the box and upon which the said plate is designed to have movement as upon a pivot. This allows of the tilting of the plate, as will be best understood upon reference to Fig.2. The horizontal flange of this plate has its ends beveled or inclined downward, as shown clearly in Figs. 1 and 2, so as to facilitate the introduction of the knife, as seen best in Fig. 2. The upper face of this horizontal flange is covered by a surface I, of rubber, felt, or other suitable material, held to the plate in any suitable manner and which constitutes the rubbing-surface, in contact with which the knife is brought during the act of scourin g the same.

J is the upper rubber-plate. It is provided upon the under face of its horizontal flange with a surface K, of rubber, leather, felt, or other suitable material, held thereto in any desirable way and constituting the upper rubbing-surface. The vertical portion j of this plate is provided with the vertically-elongated slots L, through which pass the screws or other means M, held in the end of the box A, so that the plate is mounted for vertical movement and guided in a straight path by said screws working in the slots, as will be readily understood. This plate is provided at its center with the boss or enlargement N from which rises the stem 0, which is passed loosely through the horizontal extension A on the end of the box A, as seen best in Fig. 3, and between the under side of this extension and theupper face of the enlargement or boss is a spring P, surrounding the stem and serving to normally force the upper rubber down to its work, but readily yielding when a knife or other object is inserted between the two rubbers. The upper end of the stem is provided with a removable knob or button P, which may be adjusted to regulate the tension of the spring, and thus govern the pressure of the upper rubber on the knife.

With the parts constructed and arranged substantially as above described the operation will be apparent and, briefly stated, is as follows: The box A is filled with the substance to be used for scouring or cleaning the knives, and when the knife is inserted between the rubbers it should be inserted at an angle of about forty-five degrees, more or less, the bevel of the end of the lower rubber facilitating this action, and by holding the thick part of the knife toward you and drawing the knife in between the two rubbing-surfaces it will strike the side of the opening in the end of the receptacle and the powder that passes through this opening will not clog the rubbing-surfaces, butwill flow out at the sides or ends of the rubbing-surfaces and fall into the catch-basion, from which it can be returned to the receptacle after the operation is completed.

If moisture is desired, all'that it will be necessary to do will be to dip the knife in water and insert it between the rubbing plates or surfaces and turn the knife a little, so as to cause the rubbers to knives are moved back and forth through the opening in the end of the receptacle and thus into the cleaning compound within the receptacle, which is brought out by the movement of the knife onto the rubbers, so that the movement of the knife brings out practically only just as much of the compound as is required for the purpose of cleaning that one knife.

What is claimed as new is- 1. A device for scouring cutlery, comprising a receptacle with an opening in one end, a rubber mounted on a pivot on said end and a spring-actuated vertically-movable rubber also mounted on said end and adapted for cooperation with the pivoted rubber, substantially as specified.

2. The combination with the receptacle with opening in one end, of a spring-pressed rubber on said end, and a pivotally-mounted rubber on said end having its ends beveled, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The combination with the receptacle with opening in one end, and the spring-actuated vertically-movable rubber on said end, of means for guiding said rubber in a vertical path, and a rubber pivotally mounted on said end of the receptacle and having a beveled end, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

4. The herein-described scouring device for cutlery, the same composed of a receptacle with opening in one end, a removable catchbasin at said end extended beyond the same, apivotally-mounted rubber on said end above the catch-basin, a vertically-movable rubber above the pivoted rubber, a spring acting on said rubber to force it downward, and means for guiding the rubber in its movements, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN G. KERST.

Witnesses:

OSCAR ANsELL, S. A. BULLARD. 

